Father & Son Activities

Best Ways To Spend Time With Your Son

Whether you're anticipating what to do on Father's Day or are simply looking for ways to spend quality time with your child, here are some great father and son activity ideas. And the reason I know that they’re great ideas is because I lived them out with my own terrific son.

Rent and ride a tandem bicycle

I remember pulling up in front of my ex’s house on a bicycle built for two: My son was 6 years old, standing on the porch, and when he saw me his eyes got all big and he had a huge smile on his darling little face. A tandem bicycle is so different and unique that it’s like a mini amusement park ride. And there’s a good reason why a “bicycle built for two” is the subject of one of the most famous songs about romance, “Daisy Bell.” I say this unequivocally; there is nothing wrong with applying the “R” word to your children — it’s a good thing.

It is romantic because it is a machine that truly connects two people in a fun yet meaningful way. If love is an activity, a tandem bicycle is a great way to experience it with the most important person or people in your life — your offspring.

Build and launch a rocket together

This is one of the coolest, most amazing and easiest things a father and son can do together. Go to your nearest hobby store and find a rocket-making kit. Estes is one of the biggest hobby rocket-making companies around and it sells rockets that fly anywhere from 300 to 1,200 feet. I prefer the rockets that fly really high because there’s the added sense of reality to the project. Of course you’ll lose more rockets this way, but I’m all for immediate gratification.

There’s a tremendous sense of bonding that you get from building and launching a rocket with your son. Yet, however simple the process may be, you’ll see that you and your son will feel like real scientists as if you accomplished something that very few people actually do, which, in a way, is kind of true.

What I love best about rocketry is the sense that anything is possible in this world when you build something that leaves the ground in such a dramatic and passionate way. That’s the key message here: If you’re a single dad who’s been through the ringer with your ex, this feeling of flying above the trials and tribulations is a healthy one — and the same applies to your son. Often our kids witness too many earthly challenges and battles, and it’s so great to do something with them that allows them to fly above the clouds.

A rocket-making kit with extra engines will only run you about $50. The main cost is the launching pad and engines. Don’t feel bad when you lose the occasional rocket, because they’re cheap to replace. Just warn your son that it may happen before you press that fantastic button that sends your rocket soaring into the sky .